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From the Valhalla Sector

Channe was kind enough to help provide information for this FAQ with additional information provided by Monica. We will try to keep this updated as best we can. Please visit the Show Premise page for information about the show and if you have anything to suggest, please let us know!

About the Story...

  • What is Jeremiah, anyway? [ Answer ]
  • Hope? [ Answer ]
  • What's the story? [ Answer ]
  • How on Earth will can you put optimism into a story where three-quarters of the world population dies? [ Answer ]
  • Um, we've heard through Sci-Fi Wire that the show's gonna be a bit... edgy? [ Answer ]
  • Will there be an "arc" (a multi-season story) like there was in Babylon 5? [ Answer ]

About the Show...

  • Who's the creative team behind Jeremiah? [ Answer ]
  • I heard Joe Dante was involved with the show. What is his role? [ Answer ]
  • Is Christopher Franke doing the music? [ Answer ]
  • What can you tell me about the music in Jeremiah or the new theme song? [ Answer ] NEW!
  • When will Jeremiah air in my country? [ Answer ] UPDATED!
  • Are they repeating the show later in the week? [ Answer ] UPDATED!
  • Can I see Jeremiah if I don't get Showtime? [ Answer ]
  • When can we expect to see the show in syndication? [ Answer ]
  • How long is this series going to be on the air? [ Answer ]
  • When will season two premiere? [ Answer ]
  • We heard JMS won't be involved with season three if there is one? [ Answer ]
  • Now that season one is in the can, when can we expect the series to be released on DVD? [ Answer ]
  • How is Jeremiah doing in the ratings? [ Answer ]
  • So, Jeremiah was inspired by a comic series? [ Answer ]
  • How much does Jeremiah follow the original comic books by Hermann Huppen? [ Answer ]
  • Is it anything like Mad Max, Waterworld, or The Tribe? [ Answer ]

About the Characters...

  • I saw references to a David Quijana, so what became of him? [ Answer ]
  • What happened to Tricia Hefler who plays Sarah? [ Answer ]
  • Who is Erin, and what happened to Sarah? [ Answer ]
  • Was that Jeremiah's mom that we see dead on the street in the pilot episode? [ Answer ]

Miscellaneous...

  • Can I e-mail The Abyss for tapes of Jeremiah, or ask if they know anyone who has them? [ Answer ]

Jump to: story · show · chars · misc
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About the Story...
Q : What is Jeremiah, anyway?
A : The new Showtime science-fiction show Jeremiah is, quite simply, a post-apocalyptic story about hope.

Q : Hope?
A : Uh-huh. JMS says it's like "designing a submersible cat." It sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it? Here is what JMS had to say on the subject:

One aspect of the show is that the Big Death was the huge, horrible planetary event that wiped out a little more than half of the human race. And yet, we've survived. We've persevered. We've gone on and rebuilt. A post-apocalyptic environment is an important message to communicate. We're often at our best when we're most put upon. Even if the most horrible thing were to happen, the human race does indeed go on. The cockroaches don't just inherit the planet.

It's really a show about hope. It's about new beginnings rather than endings. It's not the end of the world. The end of the world is overrated. (Feb 2003)

Q : What's the story?
A : In our time, a horrible virus (The Big Death) runs rampant through the population of Earth. It kills every adult, sparing only children who have not yet reached puberty. These children grow up without adult supervision, wearing clothes they've grown into and eating out of cans, subsisting on the ashes of the previous world.

Those survivors must find their way in a decadent civilization and attempt to create a new order—before they perish in the old.

Jeremiah is one of these survivors. A loner by nature, he's on a personal quest to find the mysterious "Valhalla Sector," a place that might hold the secret as to the fate of his father—and the fate of the planet. He reluctantly forms an alliance with the nave but colorful Kurdy, and the two set out on a journey in which they discover rival social factions at war and young people who must make decisions without wisdom from those who lived before them.

Q : How on Earth will can you put optimism into a story where three-quarters of the world population dies?
A : Here's how JMS says it:

Well, you must understand, that is hard meat core. Science fiction is an optimistic genre. It says that we do go on, that there will be a tomorrow; it may not be the best of all possible tomorrows, but we do go on. The cockroaches don't inherit the planet.

Q : Um, we've heard through Sci-Fi Wire that the show's gonna be a bit... edgy?
A : Yup, you're entirely right. The creators are trying to push the envelope of what can pass cable standards - so Jeremiah is definitely not for the squeamish. If you want to get a taste, check out the exclusive photos in our Gallery.

Q : Will there be an "arc" (a multi-season story) like there was in Babylon 5?
A : Take it from J. Michael Straczynski, "Yes" (How Vorlonic!). Now, it will not be as extensive or complex as the one in B5 but there will be one (or more). JMS definitely has an ending planned and we are excited to see where he will take us and how we get there. Stay tuned!

This just in ... when asked about how many seasons he has planned for Jeremiah's arc, JMS responded "Five."

JMS also posted these comments about the arc:

It's very arc-ish (if that's a term), but it was written so that someone unfamiliar with the show could catch up fairly quickly. (Jul.2.2002)

It's not as elaborate as the B5 arc, because there I had 5 years to work on it, but there's a timeline, yeah...and there is an ending. (Apr.23.2002)

 ^ Top ^    
About the Show...
Q : Who's the creative team behind Jeremiah?
Q : I heard Joe Dante was involved with the show. What is his role?
A : Well, first of all, you have J. Michael Straczynski, the fan favorite responsible for the Babylon 5 series, serving as executive producer and showrunner. Then there is Sam Egan who is also executive producer and writing about half the episodes in season one. Also on the team is Platinum Studios' Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, one of the minds behind the development of Men In Black for the silver screen as well as Ervin Rustemagic, who is responsible for the production of the original Hermann Huppen comic books.

We have heard some rumblings about Joe Dante's involvement and we will just let JMS answer this one for us:

Joe Dante was involved with the early development of the project. Once I wrote the pilot, he was on tap to direct, and his deal, based on his early involvement, called for certain fees and titles. When it came time for the pilot, he was not available, but the deal remains the same. He has not been involved in the show since then. I don't think anyone in the company has even heard from him since. (Apr.23.2002)

New to season two is Grant Rosenberg (no relation to Scott M. Rosenberg), who has taken over the day-to-day responsibilities on the set in order to free JMS' time to write most of the episodes in season two. Word is that Grant might write one episode in season two. Also, Sam Egan has moved on to other projects and will no longer be part of the team in season two.

Read more about some of these people on our Jeremiah Writers page.

Q : Is Christopher Franke doing the music?
A : J. Michael Straczynski said it best:

No, Tim Truman is doing the music. It's just a different kind of show. You don't use the same composer for everything you do.

He also has quite an impressive list of television shows that he has done the theme songs for like Melrose Place, Charmed, and Providence. He also did some episode music for Miami Vice too. Tim Truman has also Composed, Arranged and Produced for artists like Peter Cetera (Chicago), Michael Jackson, and Donna Summer. For more information about him, visit his web site at: http://www.timtruman.com/

Q : What can you tell me about the music in Jeremiah or the new theme song?
A : All the music in the series is composed by Tim Truman. More information about him can be found on his web site at: http://www.timtruman.com/

In season two, a new theme song was created to replace the season one haunting musical piece. It now contains lyrics which were written and composed by Tim Truman and performed by Paul Van of Solarcade. This piece of music was first heard during the closing credits of the season one pilot and it was re-arranged for the season two theme song that is played during the opening credits of each episode.

If you want to listen to the music and read the lyrics, please visit our Gallery where we keep the season one and season two clips and sound bytes.

Q : When will Jeremiah air in my country?
A : Season one of Jeremiah will be shown on the Canada on two pay cable channels (The Movie Network and Movie Central) in September 2002. Season two is scheduled to air on TMN in October 2003. For more more information, please visit our Canadian Episode Schedule page.

Also, thanks to "Tom Hobbes" from B5TV.com for reporting the episode list for cable channel "Cinefaz" which started in November 2002. For more information, please visit our France Episode Schedule page.

Sky Network Television in New Zealand has also started airing Jeremiah's season one in November 2002. There is no word when season two will air. For more information, please visit our New Zealand Episode Schedule page.

There has been much rejoicing in the UK as Sky One has picked up season one of Jeremiah at last in December 2002. There is no word when season two will air. For more information, please visit our United Kingdom Episode Schedule page.

A fellow B5TV'er located in South Africa let us know that Jeremiah's season one has aired March 2003. There is no word when season two will air. For more information, please visit our South Africa Episode Schedule page.

Israel got the go ahead to show Jeremiah in April 2003. For more information, please visit our Israel Episode Schedule page.

Now Germany has joined in and will be airing Jeremiah January 9, 2004. Visit our German Episode Schedule page.

Q : Are they repeating the show later in the week?
A : Repeats are airing on the two Showtime channels SHOWTIME TOO and SHOWTIME BEYOND. Also, if you have SHOWTIME ON DEMAND available in your area you may want to check out their schedule as they often add it to their lineup as well. However, please check your local listings for more information as they may have different inforamtion than we can provide.

We asked a few questions via Showtime's Ask a Question form and this was the response we got:

Jeremiah will not air more then once a week at this time.

Also, regarding why it is not being repeated and shown only on Showtime Beyond:

To create a service our subscribers will enjoy, our programming department acquires the best movies, series and specials available and our scheduling department presents them at various times on various channels.

It is not much of an answer but at least it is something. Now that we have posted contact infomation for all the Showtime and MGM executives on our Jeremiah Buzz Campaign, you can talk to someone in person and listen to what you have to say seriously.

Q : Can I see Jeremiah if I don't get Showtime?
A : If you live in America, Jeremiah is airing on Showtime - and Showtime only. So, unless you have some well-connected friends, you'll have to wait until Jeremiah is syndicated through MGM to see it.

Q : When can we expect to see the show in syndication?
A : J. Michael Straczynski had this to say about it:

Yes, it will eventually be syndicated, but not for about 2 years. (Jul.20.2001)

So, look for it to be available sometime around 2004.

Apparently, Showtime has a multi-year exclusive to Jeremiah. Also, when it does make it to syndication, expect to see an toned down and edited version.

An update to JMS' previous statement about when we can expect it to go into syndication:

The syndication aspect in the US won't happen for, I think, 3 more years, to give Showtime the maximum window on it. (Nov.16.2002)

This puts syndication in about 2005/6 which is about the same time the Big Death is released in Jeremiah's world. It also sounds like we might be getting a five year show? ;)

Q : How long is this series going to be on the air?
A : Of course it depends on the success of the series and how well it is received. We know that 20 episodes have been commissioned for the first season and 15 episodes have been produced for season two. If you read between the lines in the above answer, it looks like Showtime is expecting a five-year run for this show.

This does not mean however that Jeremiah is guaranteed to be on the air for X number of years since as JMS said:

Every series is season-by-season. (Jan.12.2003)

Finally, when JMS was questioned about how many seasons he has planned for Jeremiah's arc, he responded "Five."

Q : When will season two premiere?
A : The official word from Showtime has been announced about Jeremiah getting renewed for a second season. This is what JMS had to say about it recently:

Last I heard, year two is set to debut in the US around the first week of August. They want to be able to debut their new series Dead Like Me in June/July or so, let that get its sea-legs, then we come out in August. (Mar.28.2003)

However, if you head on over to Showtime's site or message boards, you will see this:

Season 2 of Jeremiah Premieres on Friday, October 10 at 10pm ET/PT.

Catch the Pilot Episode for Season 1 of Jeremiah on Friday, October 10th at 8:30pm ET/PT.

Q : We heard JMS won't be involved with season three if there is one?
A : Indeed the news is sad but true. We have heard that there may be some contractual obligations which will require him to return for the first few episodes of season three (if it gets renewed) but here is what JMS said recently:

However, even though the article totally misstated the sentence so it didn't make any sense, the last phrase is correct, in that I have zero desire to return to a third season of Jeremiah. Showtime was great, no mistake, but MGM has overall been the most heinous, difficult and intrusive studio I've ever worked for. I've worked for, and had great relations with, Viacom, Universal, Warner Bros., and a bunch more. But I will never, ever, work for the present administration at MGM. (Jul.24.2003)

Q : Now that season one is in the can, when can we expect the series to be released on DVD?
A : There is nothing official yet but various industry news sites are reporting that a release of the season one DVDs for Jeremiah are scheduled for January 20th, 2004. Visit these sites for more information:

Comic Continuum
TV Shows on DVD
The Futon Critic

We are pretty sure it will be released in January as Amazon is now taking pre-orders for the season one boxed set. For more information, visit our Jeremiah Boxed Set DVD page.

Q : How is Jeremiah doing in the ratings?
A : From what we have heard, Jeremiah is doing very well and each time an episode airs, it draws more viewers in. This is good news for making the show available on DVD and overseas -- not to mention a very good possibility of a third season as well!

From J. Michael Straczynski himself:

Both Showtime and MGM called to offer congratulations on our first ep. Stargate, airing a brand new episode right before us, with an established audience, pulled a 2.9 and a 5 share, excellent by pay cable standards.

Our first real ep out of the box *also* got a 2.9 and a 5 share, AND it also grew by quarter hours, ending up at a 3.1 for the last quarter hour, indicating again that we hold viewers and add as we go, a very good thing.

So everybody's happy. (Mar.19.2002)

Showtime is quite happy. We're generally out-pulling Stargate, which is an established show with a reliable audience, and each episode we build our audience by quarter hours, meaning people who stumble onto it stick around. (Apr.8.2002)

Q : So, Jeremiah was inspired by a comic series?
A : It certainly was based on a comic series ... called Jeremiah. ;) It was written by Hermann Huppen in 1979 and it was a huge hit in Europe. It hasn't been published in the states in about 10 years and we don't believe it was successful or else you would still be able to find it. The good news is that they are planning to re-publish the series stateside later this year. This re-issue is now available and called "Gun in the Water" so check out our Jeremiah Store for more inforamtion. You can also go to our Links page and check out all the ones about Mr. Huppen for more information about him.

Q : How much does Jeremiah follow the original comic books by Hermann Huppen?
A : J. Michael Straczynski is using the comic books as a jumping-off point only. The actual show will be quite different than Huppen's comic books; fans will already notice differences in the first episode. While the story of the original Jeremiah comic books was primarily about racial war, this Jeremiah will center around what it takes to build a new world. Fans of the comic series might be dissappointed initially, but we urge you to give it a chance.

More words straight from JMS:

The book has been in print about 20 years and is in desperate need of updating; a lot of what was in the book was fresh at the time, but we've had any number of other post-apocalyptic stories in TV and film (A Boy and his Dog, Damnation Alley, Logan's Run, the various Mad Max movies) along the way, and there has to be a totally fresh approach, something to bring the thing into the 21st century. They gave me complete free rein in doing so... (Oct.4.2000)

There was an interview with J. Michael Straczynski in February's issue of Dreamwatch and had this to say about what he used from the original comic:

Basically, you have the two characters, Jeremiah and Kurdy. These two guys are toiling around a post-apocalyptic environment in a vehicle. That was all I took from the books. The rest, the Big Death, all the other elements that are in the series now, were cobbled together after the fact.

The comic seemed quite interesting to me. There's what works in comics and what works in television. That's where I had to make the distinction and changes. They were afraid to change elements that wouldn't work in television and I wasn't afraid to go ahead and do that. That's why I had to come in and take the germ [of an idea] that was there and do it in a different way that would work for television. (Feb 2003)

Also, here is what Gregory Noveck (Jeremiah's Co-Producer) said about it as well:

Even though the premise from the comic book is somewhat different than the underlying premise for the series, the world is very similar and the character is virtually identical between Jeremiah and Kurdy. It's that dynamic that truely drives the series and that's what Joe [Strazczynski] latched on to. (Mar 2003)

Q : Is it anything like Mad Max, Waterworld, or The Tribe?
A : As far as we can tell - definitely not! Jeremiah's production design tries to accurately depict a world whose people live off of the remnants of the old.

And one of the influences that went INTO Mad Max was Hermann Huppen's Jeremiah.

In regards to The Tribe (which is a post-apocalypse series where a plague wiped out all the adults on Earth and the children are left to survive in a hostile new world), J. Michael Straczynski had this to say:

Except this isn't about the children at that time, it's about the adults they have become...it's not about teens, it's about people now in their late 20s and below. (Jul.22.2001)

 ^ Top ^    
About the Characters...
Q : I saw references to a David Quijana, so what became of him?
A : Nothing! His character just got renamed and is now known as Markus Alexander.

Q : What happened to Tricia Hefler who plays Sarah?
Q : Who is Erin, and what happened to Sarah?
A : Here is the original description that MGM released on September 2001 about the characters scheduled to appear in Jeremiah:

Sarah is in her mid 20's, bright, personable and very attractive. Sarah is among those living inside Thunder Mountain, a colony set inside what used to be a military compound. Quite small when the Big Death hit, Sarah has lived most of her life inside Thunder Mountain. She currently assists leader David Quijana with "newcomer integration and orientation" - which is how she meets Jeremiah and Kurdy, who seek asylum here. Sarah shows Jeremiah around the elaborate compound and when the time comes for the visitors to make their exit, commemorates their departure by reading aloud Tennyson's "Ulysses."

We now know that "Ulysses" was never read at the end of The Long Road (Parts 1 & 2) and that Sarah was supposed to appear again in Thieves' Honor (which never happened). Presumably, we would only see Sarah when new people are introduced into the lives of the people who live at Thunder Mountain. We are not sure what happened to this character, but she was quietly dropped and it seems that Erin "replaced" her. However, we really don't think the character of Sarah was replaced specifically but only one strong female role for another.

Erin on the other hand, we should see a lot more of. She is Markus' right hand and probably the number two person in power and influence around TM. Even though her character may sound quite similar to Sarah, they are not the same.

Q : Was that Jeremiah's mom that we see dead on the street in the pilot episode?
A : A number of people have thought the same thing but no, it is not. The child crying over their dead mother is not Jeremiah so it must be some random event that they captured on film.

We really don't know what happened to Jeremiah's mother other than the fact that she might be dead. However, we will learn more about her in the season two episode "Rights of Passage".

 ^ Top ^    
Miscellaneous...
Q : Can I e-mail The Abyss for tapes of Jeremiah, or ask if they know anyone who has them?
A : No on both counts.
 ^ Top ^    
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